


Shut Your Eyes (Put on a Show)

by ChiaRoseKuro



Series: A World of One's Own [34]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Character Study, Drabble, F/M, M/M, Prompt Fic, Songfic, Unreliable Narrator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-14
Updated: 2019-11-14
Packaged: 2021-01-30 15:02:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21430141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChiaRoseKuro/pseuds/ChiaRoseKuro
Summary: Team Seven is comprised of three genin and their jounin sensei—the avenger, the fangirl, the dead last and a friend-killer. There’s no solid dependability to them or any sort of promise, just another team lumped together through tried and tested methods that almost always fail—But with the avenger and fangirl gone, with the friend-killer all out of friends or fresh sympathy, what’s the demon brat meant to do on his own?What’s a team when there’s only one person clinging onto its tattered remnants?(because a Naruto without his precious people may as well not be a Naruto at all)
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura/Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi & Uzumaki Naruto, Kyuubi | Nine-tails | Kurama & Uzumaki Naruto, Sarutobi Hiruzen & Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Series: A World of One's Own [34]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/976812
Comments: 10
Kudos: 30





	Shut Your Eyes (Put on a Show)

**Author's Note:**

> It's probably for the best if you read the other stories in the main story series (_Dark Side of the Morning_), if only to understand the specific circumstances vaguely alluded to throughout this story. If you'd rather not - Naruto is in love with Sakura, who is in love with Sasuke, and who in turn is in love with Naruto (which makes this a rather joyless love cycle), and Sasuke and Sakura have disappeared to places unknown. So if you're not interested in a rather moody character study that features bullying, dehumanization and references to unhealthy relationships, then the 'back' button is at your disposal and should be used judiciously.
> 
> Special thanks to Soraru's and luz's cover of Nuyuri's _Fragile_ for providing both the title and the drabble's musical inspiration in the hours it took to write and refine this, the dialogue prompt "Please! Stop it! All of you!" for hovering like a nebulous wraith over the entirety of the drabble, and my truly terrible mood for churning out a rather late addition to this series. There's a very good chance the next instalment will be a multi-chaptered story looking into the lives of each defected Team Seven member - but since that's still more of a vague thought than a planned-out story right now, please enjoy what's below and stay tuned for more if you're so inclined!

* * *

Team Seven leaves as something that could charitably be called a team and returns as nothing more than a laughingstock—and for all that Naruto turns up at the bridge every day and yells at Kakashi when he arrives later and later, it’s not the same. There’s no bastard sneering off to one side, no equally affronted voice joining his in chorus, and when Kakashi simply stops turning up about three weeks in—

It’s a miracle, perhaps, that he even bothered turning up for so long. With a team consisting of only one, there’s no missions he can do and nothing anyone wants from just the Demon Brat. _Outcast,_ they say to his face now, _it’s because of your bad luck that all of them are gone_.

The avenger and the fangirl are gone, and in their place…  
  


* * *

  
“I’m sorry, Naruto-kun, but we cannot do anything until we learn the fates of your teammates,” Hokage-jiji murmurs, expression hidden beneath the wreathe of smoke pluming from his pipe. “Without knowing where Sasuke-kun or Sakura-chan are…”

And the thing is that it makes sense, for all that Naruto suspects. There’s a difference between what he thinks he saw in the dead of night and something that someone _trustworthy_ can verify—but that’s the thing, isn’t it?

The outcast, the demon brat, the loud-mouthed dead-last of three graduating years—who would expect anything of someone like him? Naruto had never been close to many of the Academy students, and with mostly everyone he knows too busy with their own training to visit the sole remaining member of Team Seven…

“How long would I have to wait?” Naruto asks as cheerfully as he can. “I mean, I can’t take your spot if I’m stuck like this, y’know!”

But instead of laughing indulgently or sighing like he usually would, the smoke clears momentarily to reveal an immeasurably sad gaze. “I’ll do my best,” Hokage-jiji says, so quietly that Naruto almost doesn’t hear it, “but if that is all, Naruto-kun…”

Naruto wants to believe Hokage-jiji will keep his promise and work as fast as he can, _wants_ to forget all about it and focus on solo training so he doesn’t get left behind—

Except he’s seen those eyes before and heard that voice one too many times to count. From dinner plans that never came to fruition to visits cut short—how many times had Naruto seen Hokage-jiji prioritize the village above him? It makes sense that he would, of course, when he was responsible for all of Konoha, but…

_I just want someone who will see me for **me**,_ is the thought that loops through Naruto’s head when he leaves Hokage-jiji’s office. _I just want someone who loves me as I am_.

_What makes you think anyone ever will?_ a voice that doesn’t sound like his own murmurs in the back of his head—but it’s not the last time he hears that voice, and it’s not long before Naruto listens to it for lack of any better voice to hear.  
  


* * *

  
Team Seven is comprised of three genin and their jounin sensei—the avenger, the fangirl, the dead last and a friend-killer. There’s no solid dependability to them or any sort of promise, just another team lumped together through tried and tested methods that almost always fail—

But with the avenger and fangirl gone, with the friend-killer all out of friends or fresh sympathy, what’s the demon brat meant to do on his own?

What’s a team when there’s only one person clinging onto its tattered remnants?

Naruto knows what he saw that night, before the drunk old man had disappeared along with Sasuke and he’d slunk home on Kakashi’s heels. Maybe the voice had been a little warped and those leaf-green eyes hadn’t been quite the same shade—but how could he forget Sakura-chan so easily? He’d barely passed the Academy’s test, didn’t even technically _pass_ now that he thinks about it…

Except Sasuke’s gone, and with him went Sakura-chan.

Sasuke might be a bastard and Sakura-chan barely acknowledges him outside of his association with Sasuke, but…

_How is this a team if I’m the only one here?_ Naruto thinks to himself, and tightens the straps on his bag one last time before he slides the window open.

(take away Sakura, and there’s only Sasuke and Naruto)

(take away Sasuke, and there’s only Naruto left)

(but take away Naruto too, and the only thing left is—)

**Author's Note:**

> For further author notes and other things related to this fic or series, feel free to check out my [blog](https://chiarosekuro.wordpress.com/). Alternately, potential prompts and other sorts of inspiration can be found on my [Tumblr](https://chroku-n.tumblr.com/) or [Twitter](https://twitter.com/chroku_n/) if that tickles your fancy instead - or, if you'd like your own shiny new oneshot, you can request one from me [here](https://chiarosekuro.wordpress.com/commissions/).


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